Current-controlling mechanism for internal-combustion engines.



' L. T. RHOADES.

CURRENT CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES. APPLICATION FILED AUG.18, 1909.

955,204, Patented Apr. 19, 1910.

I nqunmum Unrirun srerns PAT}? i j @FFICE.

GUBREdflfiQKiTTRQLLKHG MECHANISM FDR IN Be is known that 1, Lewis RHOADEB,

citizen of the United States, residing'11 Mmii Clare, in the county of lilontg inery and State of Pennsylvania, have invented ceri-ain new and useful lmproveincnis in Current-Controlling Mechanism for internul-Ccnihusiion Engines, of which the foilowing is c specification,

invention relates to improvements in current controlling mechanism for internal znhusiion engines, the object of the inven- 1 heing' to provide improved niecl'uinisiu i och. will temporarily retard the moveniens ofihe circuit closing contactdevice, to term porurily increuse ihe iorsional pressure of u moving spring, and then release the inevahlc contact device, so that it will rapidly make and break the electric circuit to give irhe proper spark ior she explosion in the cylinder or cylinders, and insure a uniform spark regardless of the speed of the eng ne or engines, by the COHliJlHlitiilOffl of a high tension distrihuier, and induction coil of the well known consiruction.

A further object is to provide improvements of this character, which, when sheengine pisions and crank shafts are moved in ii reverse direction, the contact device will not close the eiec fric circuit to make a spark.

'With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, and combinations and urrungeinenis of parts as will he more fully hereinafter described and pointedout in the claims.

In the accompenying drawings, Figure 1,

is a plan view partly in section illustrating my improvements. Fig. 2, is a .view in longitudinal section. Fig. 3, is a view in side elevation, and Fig; 4, is a fragmentary View in side elevation of the contactarm and its cam.

1 illustrates a support, which though shown of circular form, may of course be' of other forms, and may be located at any suitable portion of the machinery. Projecting through this support 1 is a time shaft 2, to which above the supporta disk '3' is fixed, and constructed to turn with the shaft. Mounted loosely upon shaft 2 above disk 8, is a rotary contact device 4, having n-se'ries-of projections or contacts 5 thereon, "located an equi-distu nce apart, and as many provided as chore are cylinders to be fire I of said contacts -w en the contaci represents c coiled at one end, and projected ing' 7 in. he shuft 2, and st i bent and positioned in an opening d in she con-met device 5 said spring being under suiiicient torsional cension to turn the conices device l, so as to position one of iis coni'ucis 5 against pin or stop 9 fast io dish 3, and norm-ally hold the contact device in this relation in t-l iisl; 3,

how u Si no support 5 r cylin us to conlineci 2, seeel bul 13, and nornsell in i.- fOlWz-l-Qi projeeii Lion, un il forced hnclswurd by one of contacts 5, as will more full-y hereinafter appear. I

The support 1 is provided with so openor hearing 15, in. which a pin or 16' on a. bracket 1? is mounted so turn. This bracket is provided with two bifurcated members 18 and 1% respectively, and a con tact arm 20 is pivotully secured in the bliss ce-tcd portion 19 by means of a pin 21, and is guided and supporied in the bifurcated portion 18, and coiled spring 2:2 preferably at the peculinr angle shown, nor mally holds said 2 i not only against the bifurcstcd guide por ion l8, but also ugniinst u pin or stop on support 1. This arm 20 is heniznt its rree end into general hooked form as shown at 52%, which is engaged y s fiat ill spring 25 secured to arm 20, and this spring :25 is made with c contact 26 adapted when "the arm is properly moved, to contact with a screw 27, and close the electric circuit, it being understood that the support and the parts carried thereby, except the screw 27, are grounded, a wire 28 being shown for this purpose, while a wire 29 is shown toil-lustmte the connection heiween the screw 27 and the primary winding of on induction coil of well known construction. I To the side of arm scent the contact device l, a block 30 is fixed, and is provided with a cam face 31 against which the contucts 5 move in ihe noz'rosl operation of lihe device, and with a second cam face a ainst which coniact points 5 move is incved a disco normal direction,

tion opposite to against point 5 is cam faces 31 and 32 being at right angles to each other, so as to move the arm 20 in different'directions, as will now be explained.

The normal operation of the device" is as follows: As time shaft 2 revolves, it turns disk 3, and'due to the spring 6, which holds one of the contact points 5 against pin- 9, also turns the contact device 4 until one of the contact points 5 engages the steel ball 13. As the frictional resistance of the ball 13 greater than the torsional strength of the spring 6, contact devices will be momentarily stopped until the pin 9 reaches the contact point 5 in advance, when it will force that the contact ball 13 will force the latter back in the 037 der, to permit the contact point to pass. This operation of holding the contact device temporarily serves to wind the spring 6, increasing its torsional strain, and as soon as the chntact passes the ball 13, this increased torsional strain will compel one of the 'contact points 5 to rapidly wipepast-block 30. until a point 5 again engages pin 9. This movement or wiping of the point 5 against loloch 39, due to the action of the cam sur face 31, forces the arm 20 toward the contact screw 27, and moves the contact 26 momentarily into engagement with the contact screw, long enough sired length of time necessary to build up a core of the ordinary induction coil, as is well understood, and as the contact is broken'by the point 5 passing block 30, spring 22 moves the arm 20 away from screw 27, and back against its stop or pin 23, thus insur' a uniform spark, regardless of the speed of the engine. parts carried thereby be moved in a reverse direction, a contact 5 will engage the cam surface 32 of block 30, 1 ing the arm 20 toward screw 27, willmove it at an exact right angle to the said normal movement, permitting the contacts 5 to pass, when the spring 22 will draw the arm back to normal position, without having made contact with the screw 27. I

A great many slight changes might be made in the general form and arrangement of parts described without departing from my invention, and hence I do not restrict myself to the precise details set forth, but consider mysef at liberty to make such changes and alterations as the spirit and scope of the claims.

Having thus described my invention what claim as. new and desire to secure by Let- I ters Patent is z- 1. In a device of the character the combination with a shaft, a disk fixed to the shaft, a contact device mounted to turn on the shaft, and having an annular series of contacts or projections, a pin or stop on the dish, a spring around the shaft described,

the contact device forwarded. the combination with a point 5 in engagement with.

however, to give the ole Should the time shaft 2 and the.

and instead or mov fairly fall within eaaaoa contact device to turn with the shaft, means operated by said projections to close an electric circuit, and means for temporarily retarding the movement of the contact de vice to increase the tension of the spring, and accelerate the movement of the contact device when released from the retarding means.

2. In a devicd of the character described, shaft, a disk fixed device mounted to having an annular or projections, a pin or spring around the shaft secured at one end to the shaft, and at its other end to the contact device, and exertingtorsional pressure on the contact device to.normally hold one of the projections in engagement with the pin, and compel the contact device to turn with the shaft, means operated by said projections to close an electric circuit, anda ballinthe end of said tube pressed by said spring and adapted to be engaged by the sa d tard the movement of the contact device, and increase the tension of the first mentioned spring. whereby the speed of the contact device will be accelerated when re leased from contact with the ball. I

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a fixed contact, of a support, an arm pivoted to said support, contact on said arm, a cam block on said arm to the shaft, a I contact on the shaft, and seriesof contacts stop on the disk, a

having'two cam faces, a rotary contact de- I vice,- projections on the rotary contact device adapted to normally engage a cam fa on said block to move the arm into con with the fixed contact, and. when moved the opposite direction direction at right angles to its normal di' ction of. movement, and a spring returning said arm to normal position.

in a device of the character the combination with a support, a tact on the support, a bracket having rotary mounting in the support, an arm pivotally connected to the bracket, a spring on said arm, a contact on said spring adapted to engage the fixed contact, a second spring holdin said arm in normal position, a block on said arm havingtwo cam faces, a rotary contact device, lugs or projections on said contact device adapted in normal operation to engage one of the cam faces of the block to move the arm and the spring into contact with the fixed contact, and when moved in the opposite direction to move the arm in a direction at right angles to its normal movement to prevent contact, a. spring described,

projections in a tube, a spring in said tube,

projections to temporarily reto move the arm in pressed bail for temporarily retarding the movement of the rotary contact dev1ce, and' contact device adapted in normal operation to engage one of the cam faces of the block to move the arm and the spring into contact with the fixed contact, and when moved in the opposite direction to move the arm in a directionat right angles-to its normal movement to prevent contact, means for temporarily retarding the movement of the rotary contact device, and means for accelerating the movement of the rotary contact device when released from the retarding means.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

LEWIS T. RHOADES. Witnesses i R. H. KRENKEL, Trmo. RISEMANN. 

